This is a terrific piece from last Friday's Toronto Globe and Mail in which Wayne Gretzky speaks out about the overheated state of youth hockey. Basically, he advises parents to back off. Let kids enjoy the game. Encourage them to experiment with several sports. Gretzky says this is the approach he has taken with his five kids. And it was the way he grew up in sports.
"I know, for myself, when the hockey season was over, I couldn't wait to play baseball. I had no interest in playing ice hockey until September," he tells the Globe and Mail.
We need to hear this message from more pro athletes.
Thanks to Doug Abrams for tipping us to this article
Monday, September 29, 2008
Job One: Getting to a child's game
Here's my latest post on BusinessWeek's "Working Parents" blog. I'm writing about the great escapes that parents make from their jobs - slipping away at 5 o'clock, cutting short a business trip - to attend their kids' sports games. I mention my own dad and the amusing things he did to get to the Little League field on time. Check out the NPR story referred to in the post, in which I interview my dad about the years in which he dashed from work to play.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Overuse, burnout and parents
I'd like to see this posted in every high-school locker room and middle-school gym in America. It's a set of simple principles for preventing burnout and overuse injuries in kid athletes.
These guidelines are reasonable. They make good sense. Yet they're violated every day. Raise your hand if you've ever nudged your child over the line (Mine's up. For details, see page 27 of "Until It Hurts").
The following list comes from a report issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics titled "Overuse Injuries, Overtraining, and Burnout in Child and Adolescent Athletes."
-Young athletes should limit training in one sport to no more than five days a week, with at least one day off from any organized physical activity.
-Athletes should take time off from one sport for two to three months each year. Taking a break from a sport allows injuries to heal and the opportunity to work on strength training and conditioning to reduce the risk of future injuries.
-Weekly training time, number of repetitions, or total distance should not increase by more than 10 percent weekly.
-Focus of sports should be on fun, skill acquisition, safety and sportsmanship.
-Join only one team per season.
And rule No. 1.
-Getting caught up in making the professional leagues or Olympics is unrealistic. Children and adolescents train year-round on multiple teams of one sport often with the hope of earning a college scholarship in that sport or becoming a professional athlete, but less than 1 percent of high school athletes make it to the professional level.
Okay, hands down.
These guidelines are reasonable. They make good sense. Yet they're violated every day. Raise your hand if you've ever nudged your child over the line (Mine's up. For details, see page 27 of "Until It Hurts").
The following list comes from a report issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics titled "Overuse Injuries, Overtraining, and Burnout in Child and Adolescent Athletes."
-Young athletes should limit training in one sport to no more than five days a week, with at least one day off from any organized physical activity.
-Athletes should take time off from one sport for two to three months each year. Taking a break from a sport allows injuries to heal and the opportunity to work on strength training and conditioning to reduce the risk of future injuries.
-Weekly training time, number of repetitions, or total distance should not increase by more than 10 percent weekly.
-Focus of sports should be on fun, skill acquisition, safety and sportsmanship.
-Join only one team per season.
And rule No. 1.
-Getting caught up in making the professional leagues or Olympics is unrealistic. Children and adolescents train year-round on multiple teams of one sport often with the hope of earning a college scholarship in that sport or becoming a professional athlete, but less than 1 percent of high school athletes make it to the professional level.
Okay, hands down.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Who's watching the referees?
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently ran a disturbing article exposing the criminal backgrounds of "dozens of active and past" sports officials working in Western Pennsylvania. The crimes committed by these officials, who work school games, are the kind that land you in the state pen: gun crimes, drug offenses, assaults, animal abuse, fraud, various forms of theft, drunken driving and auto accidents resulting in deaths.
And sex crimes. One offender cited in the article was charged with distributing computer images of young boys engaging in sex in October 2005. Days later, he was the referee at an eighth-grade football game.
This is unsettling stuff for parents, coaches, and the upright officials tarred by those who are not. Little League Baseball bills itself as the only national youth baseball organization that demands background checks on all volunteers. This story makes a strong case for others to follow that lead.
Stellar work by PG reporter Bill Moushey.
And sex crimes. One offender cited in the article was charged with distributing computer images of young boys engaging in sex in October 2005. Days later, he was the referee at an eighth-grade football game.
This is unsettling stuff for parents, coaches, and the upright officials tarred by those who are not. Little League Baseball bills itself as the only national youth baseball organization that demands background checks on all volunteers. This story makes a strong case for others to follow that lead.
Stellar work by PG reporter Bill Moushey.
Monday, September 22, 2008
The legend of Bam Bam
Ellen DeGeneres shared the set last week with a guest who might have been all of three-feet tall. His name is Bam Bam. Actually, that's one of the names he goes by. There's also Pretty Boy. And, in a pinch, his given name, Wayne Lawrence.
Bam Bam is a seven-year-old boxer. Ellen quizzed him a bit about his nicknames, his good looks and so on. Then Bam Bam put on the gloves and, working against an adult partner, showed some flashy moves. The kid was absolutely charming and, were I to run into trouble in a dark alley, I'd feel safer with Bam Bam at my side.
That said, there's something disquieting about the marketing and packaging of a boxer two years removed from kindergarten. Ellen is just his latest gig. Bam Bam is emerging as his own multi-media enterprise, featuring a Web site, a Bam Bam documentary and, in his singing career, a new "hit" single, "It's Gonna Get Easier."
From his bio, I learned that this young man comes from "the ruff and tough south side of Toledo, Ohio," that "he's been training since he was 2 yrs old in both boxing and modeling," that he was "born on September 11 2001, right as the second plane hit the south tower on that fateful day of 911," that the adults around him are trying to lift him up and out of difficult circumstances.
I wish them luck. But my gosh, he's 7.
Bam Bam is a seven-year-old boxer. Ellen quizzed him a bit about his nicknames, his good looks and so on. Then Bam Bam put on the gloves and, working against an adult partner, showed some flashy moves. The kid was absolutely charming and, were I to run into trouble in a dark alley, I'd feel safer with Bam Bam at my side.
That said, there's something disquieting about the marketing and packaging of a boxer two years removed from kindergarten. Ellen is just his latest gig. Bam Bam is emerging as his own multi-media enterprise, featuring a Web site, a Bam Bam documentary and, in his singing career, a new "hit" single, "It's Gonna Get Easier."
From his bio, I learned that this young man comes from "the ruff and tough south side of Toledo, Ohio," that "he's been training since he was 2 yrs old in both boxing and modeling," that he was "born on September 11 2001, right as the second plane hit the south tower on that fateful day of 911," that the adults around him are trying to lift him up and out of difficult circumstances.
I wish them luck. But my gosh, he's 7.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Sports4Kids rules the playground
Despite the bad news occasionally reported in this space, there is a constructive role for adults in organizing and managing youth sports. Here's a terrific example, Sports4Kids.
It's a non-profit, conceived by a former Harvard basketball player, that, oxymoronish as it sounds, teaches kids how to play on their own. I'd never heard of it. The concept is simple and makes a lot of sense. As reported this week in the Washington Post, Sports4Kids hooks up with public schools and provides an adult monitor to introduce kids to "traditional playground games," along with supervising team sports like basketball. Arguments among students are resolved the old-fashoned way - the real old fashioned way - rock-paper-scissors.
Paying for the playground program can be an issue, especially for the cash-strapped schools most in need. According to the Post, schools are charged about $25,000 a year, and Sports4Kids raises the rest, about $45,000 per school, from private donors.
Tip of the cap to Ben Hyman for pointing out the Post article.
It's a non-profit, conceived by a former Harvard basketball player, that, oxymoronish as it sounds, teaches kids how to play on their own. I'd never heard of it. The concept is simple and makes a lot of sense. As reported this week in the Washington Post, Sports4Kids hooks up with public schools and provides an adult monitor to introduce kids to "traditional playground games," along with supervising team sports like basketball. Arguments among students are resolved the old-fashoned way - the real old fashioned way - rock-paper-scissors.
Paying for the playground program can be an issue, especially for the cash-strapped schools most in need. According to the Post, schools are charged about $25,000 a year, and Sports4Kids raises the rest, about $45,000 per school, from private donors.
Tip of the cap to Ben Hyman for pointing out the Post article.
My pal, Derek Jeter
Here's my latest post on BusinessWeek's "Working Parents" blog. The topic is my impressions of (and new circle of pro athlete friends on) Weplay.com. Suffice to say, Derek Jeter and I are now close.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
The ethics of high school sports
Two items about the ethical lessons our children are learning - or aren't - as high school athletes.
Item One:
The online writing service EssayBay, which sells term papers and essays to high school and college students (which they then turn in as their own work), went public this year with a profile of its customers. According to the company, 45 percent are high school athletes who order term papers so they can make the grades they need to hook college scholarships. Worse, 70 per cent of the students did so with the approval of coaches. (No reference to parents, but it's doubtful they're in the dark).
Item Two:
The Josephson Institute in Los Angeles did an extensive survey on ethics in high school sports, interviewing 5,275 students. Among its findings: 65 per cent of kids on prep teams cheated at least once in academic work in the past year compared to 60 per cent for non-athletes. The most prolific cheaters - 72 per cent of football players and 71 per cent of cheerleaders!
Go team!
Item One:
The online writing service EssayBay, which sells term papers and essays to high school and college students (which they then turn in as their own work), went public this year with a profile of its customers. According to the company, 45 percent are high school athletes who order term papers so they can make the grades they need to hook college scholarships. Worse, 70 per cent of the students did so with the approval of coaches. (No reference to parents, but it's doubtful they're in the dark).
Item Two:
The Josephson Institute in Los Angeles did an extensive survey on ethics in high school sports, interviewing 5,275 students. Among its findings: 65 per cent of kids on prep teams cheated at least once in academic work in the past year compared to 60 per cent for non-athletes. The most prolific cheaters - 72 per cent of football players and 71 per cent of cheerleaders!
Go team!
Monday, September 15, 2008
Small Ball, the movie
Movie critic is a role we usually leave to others. But a brief post today in praise of "Small Ball: A Little League Story."
This is a documentary, which first aired on PBS in 2004. (It's available on DVD. I picked it up at my public library). The filmmakers followed a talented Little League team from Aptos, California on an emotional eight-week journey that leads to the Little League World Series.
I found myself developing attachments to several of the kid players who take the games seriously, but for the most part not too seriously, especially slugger Tyler Raymond and catcher Drew McCauley. More interesting were the parents. They are a good group, wanting the best of the high-stakes experience for their kids. But they are emotionally invested to the max. One mom speaks of feeling ill from anxiety on the day of games. Others speak about the experience being more (and in some ways, less) than they had expected.
The adult hero of the film is former big-leaguer Mark Eichhorn, who is the team pitching coach and whose son Kevin is a star hitter and pitcher. Eichhorn seems to take it a lot less seriously than the other adults and, probably for that reason, the kids light up when he's around.
One snippet from the film stays with me. A comment by Tyler Raymond, who so earnestly says of the parents: Yes, they're great and yes, they want what's best for us. But sometimes they think they're part of the game. And they're not.
Four stars.
This is a documentary, which first aired on PBS in 2004. (It's available on DVD. I picked it up at my public library). The filmmakers followed a talented Little League team from Aptos, California on an emotional eight-week journey that leads to the Little League World Series.
I found myself developing attachments to several of the kid players who take the games seriously, but for the most part not too seriously, especially slugger Tyler Raymond and catcher Drew McCauley. More interesting were the parents. They are a good group, wanting the best of the high-stakes experience for their kids. But they are emotionally invested to the max. One mom speaks of feeling ill from anxiety on the day of games. Others speak about the experience being more (and in some ways, less) than they had expected.
The adult hero of the film is former big-leaguer Mark Eichhorn, who is the team pitching coach and whose son Kevin is a star hitter and pitcher. Eichhorn seems to take it a lot less seriously than the other adults and, probably for that reason, the kids light up when he's around.
One snippet from the film stays with me. A comment by Tyler Raymond, who so earnestly says of the parents: Yes, they're great and yes, they want what's best for us. But sometimes they think they're part of the game. And they're not.
Four stars.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Gov. Palin's "hockey mom" credentials revealed
A few posts back, we were wondering about Gov. Sarah Palin's "hockey mom" persona, thirsting for details about how she handled herself at the rink. Today, the New York Times provided some answers in a piece, dateline, Wasilla, that explains the important place sports occupies in her family life.
Some of the more interesting points:
1. Gov. Palin's father was a "popular" high school cross-country coach.
2. Track Palin, her eldest child, was a talented hockey player with a hot temper. "The parents who had watched him grow up on the ice said he was popular with his teammates and generally a pretty good student. But on the ice, he was an animal," writes Kim Severson of the Times.
3. Gov. Palin and husband Todd sent their son off to a developmental team in Kalamazoo, Michigan in the hope he might play his way to a college scholarship or even the pros. But the plan "unraveled" when he separated his shoulder. In March 2007, he left Michigan and returned home.
Finally, an answer to THE question. What's it like to be a coach of a team with Gov. Palin's kid on it?
Track Palin's ex-coach told the Times, "There are some hockey moms who live their dream through their son. Sarah wasn't like that. She pretty much loved to watch her son and was engulfed with his level of play, but she let me coach."
Now that Gov. Palin is granting interviews (ABC's Charles Gibson, last night), and has addressed fringe issues such as the Bush Doctrine, her readiness to lead, et cetera, let's get to the heart of the matter. We'll be contacting the McCain-Palin campaign about a sitdown on the subject of youth sports in America. We'll keep you posted on our progress. Stay tuned.
Some of the more interesting points:
1. Gov. Palin's father was a "popular" high school cross-country coach.
2. Track Palin, her eldest child, was a talented hockey player with a hot temper. "The parents who had watched him grow up on the ice said he was popular with his teammates and generally a pretty good student. But on the ice, he was an animal," writes Kim Severson of the Times.
3. Gov. Palin and husband Todd sent their son off to a developmental team in Kalamazoo, Michigan in the hope he might play his way to a college scholarship or even the pros. But the plan "unraveled" when he separated his shoulder. In March 2007, he left Michigan and returned home.
Finally, an answer to THE question. What's it like to be a coach of a team with Gov. Palin's kid on it?
Track Palin's ex-coach told the Times, "There are some hockey moms who live their dream through their son. Sarah wasn't like that. She pretty much loved to watch her son and was engulfed with his level of play, but she let me coach."
Now that Gov. Palin is granting interviews (ABC's Charles Gibson, last night), and has addressed fringe issues such as the Bush Doctrine, her readiness to lead, et cetera, let's get to the heart of the matter. We'll be contacting the McCain-Palin campaign about a sitdown on the subject of youth sports in America. We'll keep you posted on our progress. Stay tuned.
The legacy of Tommy John
Youth baseball injuries are a favorite (better said, frequent) topic in this space. I wanted to call attention to a new study that underscores the seriousness of the problem.
Tommy John surgery, invented in 1974 as a last resort for saving the career of the great major-leaguer, has become a common operation among amateur pitchers. And this population seemingly gets younger each year. Dr. James Andrews, the orthopedic surgeon to the stars, whose patients include pro athletes in virtually every sport, has witnessed a remarkable spike in the number of his high school patients.
Before 1997, 12 of Dr. Andrews's 97 Tommy John patients were 18 or younger - 12 per cent. In 2005, 62 of 188 were high school students - nearly a third.
The operation is highly successful. Most kids get back to pitching eventually. But before that day comes there are surgical risks, tens of thousands of dollars in medical expenses, casts, slings, physical therapy and the like. Where are we (parents and coaches) when these promising young arms are being worn out?
Tommy John surgery, invented in 1974 as a last resort for saving the career of the great major-leaguer, has become a common operation among amateur pitchers. And this population seemingly gets younger each year. Dr. James Andrews, the orthopedic surgeon to the stars, whose patients include pro athletes in virtually every sport, has witnessed a remarkable spike in the number of his high school patients.
Before 1997, 12 of Dr. Andrews's 97 Tommy John patients were 18 or younger - 12 per cent. In 2005, 62 of 188 were high school students - nearly a third.
The operation is highly successful. Most kids get back to pitching eventually. But before that day comes there are surgical risks, tens of thousands of dollars in medical expenses, casts, slings, physical therapy and the like. Where are we (parents and coaches) when these promising young arms are being worn out?
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Prep basketball: Trouble with transfers
LA Times reporter Eric Sondheimer has written a good column on the troubling spike in high school sports transfers. Talented players in SoCal hop from school to school, year to year. It's all about building a kid's sports resume and cred with college scouts. Lucky schools sometimes add two or three star players virtually overnight. Others lose their big guns unexpectedly, with coaches unaware that a player has transferred until the first day of school. The LA school system has tried to address the problem with stringent transfer rules. But, as Sondheimer points out, they haven't made a dent.
"High school sports has evolved into a multifaceted scene, with increasing focus on what it offers for the individual rather than the team. It's now about branding opportunities, exposure to recruiters and media, and preparing for future stardom," Sondheimer writes.
Read the entire article from Monday's Times here.
"High school sports has evolved into a multifaceted scene, with increasing focus on what it offers for the individual rather than the team. It's now about branding opportunities, exposure to recruiters and media, and preparing for future stardom," Sondheimer writes.
Read the entire article from Monday's Times here.
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Sarah Palin's hockey rink
What exactly did Sarah Palin mean the other night when, in a memorable one-liner offered during her convention speech, she explained to GOP delegates: "You know, they say, the difference between a hockey Mom and a pitbull?... Lipstick!"
Funny comment. And, in a way, cryptic. Was this a throwaway line, offered simply to amuse? Or does it reveal something significant about Gov. Palin's views about and attachments to kids and sports?
Last week, the Wall Street Journal offered some clues. As mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, the newspaper reported, Palin pushed hard for a $15 million indoor sports complex, including ice rink and track. The project was expensive and ambitious for a town of fewer than 8,000 citizens. It was also not free of controversy. The town is still fighting off a legal challenge over the land on which it was built. It's also paying off legal bills that, so far, total $1.3 million. This is an interesting read.
Funny comment. And, in a way, cryptic. Was this a throwaway line, offered simply to amuse? Or does it reveal something significant about Gov. Palin's views about and attachments to kids and sports?
Last week, the Wall Street Journal offered some clues. As mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, the newspaper reported, Palin pushed hard for a $15 million indoor sports complex, including ice rink and track. The project was expensive and ambitious for a town of fewer than 8,000 citizens. It was also not free of controversy. The town is still fighting off a legal challenge over the land on which it was built. It's also paying off legal bills that, so far, total $1.3 million. This is an interesting read.
Friday, September 05, 2008
Welcome BW "Working Parents" readers
Hello to readers of BusinessWeek's thoughtful blog "Working Parents." I've been invited to post to "Working Parents" with news and ideas like the ones we've been chatting about here for several months. The BW blog is well worth a look, especially if you're one of us still perfecting the art of being a model parent and workplace superstar simultaneously.
Thanks to BW colleagues and fellow bloggers Lauren Young and Karyn McCormack for welcoming me.
Here's a request/challenge to the Youth Sports Parents Nation: I'm building a list of innovative youth sports programs around the country, ones that put the needs of kids first and do so creatively. I've listed three favorites below under the heading "Programs I Admire." The floor is open for your nominations.
Thanks to BW colleagues and fellow bloggers Lauren Young and Karyn McCormack for welcoming me.
Here's a request/challenge to the Youth Sports Parents Nation: I'm building a list of innovative youth sports programs around the country, ones that put the needs of kids first and do so creatively. I've listed three favorites below under the heading "Programs I Admire." The floor is open for your nominations.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Sports achievement begins at the sperm bank
Bob Bigelow, a former NBA player and truly inspiring youth sports advocate, jokes about how parents are starting kids earlier and earlier in organized sports. It won't be long before we witness "pre-natal soccer," he told me not long ago. The players in Bob's theater-of-the-absurd league? "Padded pregnant women.”
I'm not laughing anymore, after watching a piece by ESPN's Tom Farrey. Tom visits a SoCal sperm bank that assists infertile couples eager to have sports whiz kids. At the clinic, they choose from donors with an array of desirable physical attributes: size, speed, exceptional hand-eye coordination and, as one donor notes on his questionnaire, huge calves. One dad is quite direct in saying he hopes this method will help his daughter someday hook a college scholarship.
Good luck to these moms and dads. Above all, good luck to the children.
I'm not laughing anymore, after watching a piece by ESPN's Tom Farrey. Tom visits a SoCal sperm bank that assists infertile couples eager to have sports whiz kids. At the clinic, they choose from donors with an array of desirable physical attributes: size, speed, exceptional hand-eye coordination and, as one donor notes on his questionnaire, huge calves. One dad is quite direct in saying he hopes this method will help his daughter someday hook a college scholarship.
Good luck to these moms and dads. Above all, good luck to the children.
Monday, September 01, 2008
Rule one: It's not about the adults
This is a wise column from Tim Warsinskey, veteran high school sports writer for the Cleveland Plain Dealer. After covering prep games for 21 years, he offers parents 10 rules to live by, all worth considering.
I particularly echo rules 6 and 8.
I particularly echo rules 6 and 8.
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